


Letters from a Soldier

by Oakwyrm



Category: Thrilling Intent (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, F/M, I am so sorry, Letters, No happy ending here folks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-17 11:14:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5867212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oakwyrm/pseuds/Oakwyrm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The last letter a soldier pens before his death. The most important one he has ever written, and the only one that will never be read.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Letters from a Soldier

**Author's Note:**

> Ashe/Markus angst because A, I am trash and B, my friend is evil and gives me sad inspiration which distracts me from writing Siblings.
> 
> (who let me in the fandom?)

On a wooden table in a small, underground bunker lay a piece of paper. A letter, sealed and ready to be sent. The bunker was empty, eerily silent and cobwebs were already beginning to stretch out form the corners.

 

 _Dear Ashe,_ the letter read.

_Things are not looking good here. Gregor was sent away today because of heavy injury to the leg, though, by the time you get this you will probably already know that what with him being on his way to you right now and all. I would say I wish you could be with me, but for once I’m happy you’re at home base. Less danger there and you’re too valuable to be lost in this pointless war._

    _How’s Kyr, by the way? I mean, we get his inventions up here at the front lines often enough, they help a lot but I’m starting to think not enough…_

    _Anyway, how is he? Say hi to him for me. Well, I sent him a letter of his own a few days ago so I’ve already technically said hi to him…_

    _I’m getting off track, as I was saying things aren’t looking good, it’s a horror show up here. I saw a fellow solider, someone I’ve eaten with, laughed with, someone who was my friend get her head blown off yesterday, right next to me and for a split second I was just happy that it wasn’t me._

 

There was a noticeable pause in the writing, a spot where the ink had dripped from the pen and formed a blotch on the paper before the writer had continued his message.

 

_There are so many things I wish I had told you now. So many things I’d like to tell you before it’s too late. Ideally I would have liked to say these things face to face, writing them down feels a tad impersonal coming from me but it’s the best I’ve got._

    _Honestly, I don’t know if I’ll make it out of this alive, I hope I will, but I can’t guarantee anything. So I’ll send you this letter, in case I don’t and thus never get a chance to say this in person._

    _Aesling…_

    _Dear, beautiful, beloved Aesling…_

    _I love you. I should have told you sooner, I know this. I don’t know why I didn’t, I think perhaps I was afraid of ruining our friendship. Seems silly now that I look back on it. You could have abandoned me many times down the road but you never did. Many of the scrapes I got us into were **far**_ _worse than a simple love confession and you never left after any of them. Still, can’t change the past so work towards the future._

    _You are the most impressive woman I have ever known, you’re strong, fierce and just. You stand for what you think is right, even if that means having to argue with your friends. Speaking of friends you keep us all in check, healthy and whole. There are Healers up here, of course, but none I trust as much as you. You’re dependable and whenever you need some time to yourself I’ll more than happily back off._

    _I wish I could tell you everything’s going to be fine. I wish I could tell you I’d come back home triumphant and sweep you off your feet (though realistically speaking you’re the one more likely to be doing the sweeping). As things stand, however, I can’t. I will not make a promise I can’t keep._

 

_Love, Markus Tannhauser Velafi_

 

On a battle field not far from the bunker two lone soldiers stood among the fallen. One was staggering, leaning heavily on a summoned creature, side bleeding profusely. In the silence the twang of the bow was almost painfully loud. The staggering figure lurched, falling to his knees.

   He fell to the ground, eyes unseeing as his heart faltered, stuttered and finally stopped, his once golden hair stained by the blood of the battle field. The last of the enemy forces turned, smug satisfaction on her face, and left.

   In a small tent, miles away, a figure started out of her sleep. Her breath was heavy as her eyes darted around for what could have woken her. She found nothing but the darkness of night and a dampness on her cheeks. Shakily she raised her hands to her face to find tears falling from her eyes. She curled up into herself as she tried to calm down, to make sense of why she felt like something was very, very wrong. Why she felt like something, some _one_ was missing. For a single, terrifying second she thought her fears had come to pass before her scattered and panicked thoughts reached a grinding halt and then fixated on a single person.

    _Markus._


End file.
